Wednesday, May 27, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will ask Interpol to look out for Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin who has a warrant of arrest against him for failing to turn up at court for trial.Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said Tuesday he would liaise with his counterparts especially his Australian counterpart as Raja Petra is believed to be there.“We will inform our friends through proper channel as there is a warrant out for him,” he said.On Tuesday morning, Raja Petra was slapped with another warrant of arrest after he failed to turn up for his criminal defamation trial at a Sessions Court here.Sessions Court judge Mohamad Sekeri Mamat issued the arrest warrant after DPP Anselm Charles Fernandis applied for the order.The judge also issued a show-cause notice to the former Internal Security Act detainee’s wife, Marina Lee Abdullah, as his bailor, for not being at court to explain his absence.An arrest warrant was also issued by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on April 23 against Raja Petra after he failed to turn up for his sedition trial. He had claimed trial on May 6 last year to publishing a seditious article on April 25 via his news portal.When asked about the presence of prosecution witnesses in court Tuesday, DPP Anselm told reporters that 12 policemen and two civilians had been subpoenaed for the trial.Raja Petra, 59, had on July 17 last year claimed trial to three counts of criminal defamation over his statutory declaration on the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.The father of three boys and two girls is alleged to have defamed the then Deputy Prime Minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, by making a libellous statement in the declaration which he affirmed on June 18 when he knew that it would tarnish her good name.The grandfather of four also faces two similar charges against Leftenan Kolonel Norhayati Hassan and her husband Leftenan Kolonel Abdul Aziz Buyong.Raja Petra is said to have committed the offences at High Court (Civil 5) at the Jalan Duta court complex at 10:25am on June 18, last year.At the outset of court proceedings, DPP Anselm applied for the arrest warrant against the editor and the notice for his wife saying that both were aware that the criminal defamation trial was set for three days from Tuesday.Raja Petra’s lawyer, Amarjit Singh Sidhu, told the judge that the defence team was waiting to get a trial date at the Court of Appeal for their appeal on the transfer order involving the same case.“We have now received the appeal records. It is on the transfer of this case from the Magistrates Court to the Sessions Court,” he added.Upon hearing this, DPP Anselm told the judge that it was a separate matter.The judge agreed that it was a different issue and immediately issued the order.He set July 2 for mention of the arrest warrant and show-cause notice.Raja Petra had failed in his bid on Feb 13 to get his case transferred back to the magistrate’s court for trial.He had on Nov 25 applied to the High Court to have his case heard by the Magistrates Court.However, High Court Judicial Commissioner Zainal Azman Ab Aziz ruled that the decision by magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham on Aug 15 last year to transfer the case to the Sessions Court upon application by the Public Prosecutor under Section 177 of the Criminal Procedure Code was valid and in order.Raja Petra claims to be in a self-exile from Selangor because of a dispute with the state’s Palace.He claimed in a Malaysia Today article that he would not be attending the hearings not only because of his brush with the Palace but also due to his fear of another Internal Security Act arrest.He also said that he did not want to face possible treason charges.According to the press report, the police believes that the editor is now in Brisbane.

tunku : i think police has wrong info on rpk's whereabouts as he is a person who is very brave(berani mati), he won't be hiding now.he is not chicken,he is the most brave person in this world.nothing fears him,how can he ran away to aussie land ? i am sure he was some where around the court but no one noticed him.sure this is another high level conspiracy against rpk.he said before that he is not scared of the court or the police.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today came under fire for certain remarks made during a seminar for city councillors that was held in the secretariat building in Shah Alam last year.This was revealed by outspoken grassroots PKR leader, A Thiruvenggadam, who alleged that the menteri besar had said that he would not “meet any minority groups” pertaining to lack of job opportunities given to the Indians.According to Thiruvenggadam, who is also Petaling Jaya Selatan division's deputy chief and PKR-appointed councillor to the PJ city council, he had made numerous attempts to seek an appointment with the menteri besar but to no avail.“Last year, over 40 Indian councillors held a meeting and we drafted a memorandum to the menteri besar and wanted to seek an appointment with him. But two months passed, and there was no response,” he told a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.But during the councillors seminar, he added, Shah Alam councillors and Subang Jaya councillors including himself had to voice out their disappointment to Abdul Khalid for not giving any response to their demands.“So, we all raised this to him during the seminar and asked him about the memorandum we sent him. But he told us: ‘I will never meet any minority groups. If I meet, other minority groups will start coming to us’.“That is what he said. You can check with other councillors (who attended the seminar) if you don’t believe me... (His) statement has hurt us, all the Indian councillors who were present,” claimed Thiruvenggadam.Last week, Thiruvenggadam had lashed out at Pakatan Rakyat and its administration in Selangor for continuing to marginalise the Indian community in the state, saying that it is not much different from what Barisan Nasional had done.He alleged that all promises made by Pakatan leaders, including the menteri besar and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim before the general election in March 2008 to uplift the Indian community remained unfulfilled.Alam Flora contracts shared out to political parties?In a statement read out to the press, Thiruvenggadam also claimed that the state government divides waste-concessionaire Alam Flora contracts to political parties - 40 per cent to PKR, 30 per cent to PAS and 30 per cent to DAP.“This policy is wrong and against good government practice and it will lead to corruption. This system denies further the Indian community from participating in the contracts.“Worse, the community does not even have any information on it and many councillors in Selangor were surprised with this kind of contract arrangement,” added Thiruvenggadam.He further compared this kind of system with Pakatan-led government in Penang, “where everything is done in the open”.“We should let everybody contest and get the contract. What is wrong if DAP man gets it, or an Umno man gets it. Once a government is elected, they can’t discriminate between the citizens based on political parties,” he said. On the same note, Thiruvenggadam also expressed his disappointment over the lack of appointments for Indians in senior posts especially in the state government-linked companies (GLCs).“Have you heard of any Indians being appointed as directors? Why do we have this discrimination, why can’t they hold senior posts?” he asked.As he failed to seek advice from Abdul Khalid, Thiruvenggadam also claimed that he tried to see PKR Subang Jaya MP R Sivarasah and state exco member Xavier Jeyakumar about the matter.“And they told us not to talk about this on racial basis as the (state government) is multi-racial.“But we represent Indians and we have to talk about Indians,” he said.He also challenged the state government to give “statistical proof” if Indians are getting any contracts or senior jobs.“If they can’t produce (it), they will have to change their attitude and do something about it,” Thiruvenggadam said.

tunku : this is another baseless allegation against pkr and the opposition. how can the party of "sivaji the boss" could sidelined the indians........no ,never. i am sure thiru is an agent for umno.the party that champions the indians can never do such thing.anwar has fulfilled all the promises he made.is thiru trying to say that the saint are doing nothing? this is pkr/dap/pas, they will never cheat people, they are the cleanest on earth.

Monday, May 25, 2009

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Independent candidate Aminah Abdullah claimed she had been offered the post of Penang Municipal Council president and RM80,000 in compensation if she would withdraw from the May 30 Penanti by-election.If she did contest and won, she would have been given the Deputy Chief Minister 1 post, she claimed at a press conference at her makeshift election centre in Kubang Ulu here Monday morning.Aminah said that two “top PKR leaders” had approached her at her home in Jelutong on May 13 to make the offers, which she alleged had come with the blessings of PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.Claiming she had as evidence, audio on CD and a video-clip on a handphone, Aminah, 56, said she would be lodging a report with the Election Commission on Tuesday at 11am.The Deputy Chief Minister 1 post and Penanti state seat were left vacant by Mohamed Fairus Khairudin earlier this year while he was under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged corruption.The MACC has since cleared him of any wrongdoing, but Fairus said he now wants to further his studies.Arrayed against Aminah in the Penanti by-election are Penang PKR deputy chairman Mansor Othman, 59, and independents manufacturing manager Nai Khan Ari, 41, and businessman Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42.“I have all the evidence on CD and will distribute this to the media soon to tell the people the truth about this man named Anwar Ibrahim,” Aminah said, accompanied by her husband Mohd Rofi and her eldest daughter Hernanie, 25.She said her family members were witnesses to the meeting between her and the two PKR leaders, and they had recorded the full meeting which had lasted about three hours.She said the same leaders also met her again twice after that, once more at her home and a third time at an office in Seberang Jaya, within a week.“The offer was made as they claim that Dr Mansor is a weak and unpopular leader and might lose in the by-election,” she said.Aminah, the former Penang PKR Wanita chief, first made the allegations last Saturday after filing her papers at the nomination centre.PKR strategy director Tian Chua scoffed at her allegations, saying that PKR were the favourites to win the by-election.He said the party would be initiating legal action against Aminah later Monday unless she retracted her statement and apologised for it.He had previously urged her to also lodge a report with the MACC.On Monday, Aminah said she would leave it to the Election Commission to take the matter up with the graft-busting agency.

tunku : this aminah must be telling lies.....anwar,pkr involved in bribes.....no way,they are saint. they are the cleanest people on earth you can ever meet.it's conspiracy to the highest level, sure all the umno leaders involved in this.may be Dr M also involved in this conspiracy.

PETALING JAYA, May 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has expressed regret over the attitude of the Opposition accusing the Barisan Nasional (BN) government of influencing the Court of Appeal's decision in determining the rightful Perak menteri besar.Najib stressed that the court's decision was free of any interference and that the Court of Appeal's verdict was also hailed by international legal experts, including Queen's Counsel Lord Anthony Lester."If a Queen's Counsel like Lord Lester feels that we are on the right track with regards to the Court of Appeal's decision, then we should not misinterpret or harbour negative views against the judiciary," he told reporters after opening the national-level Unity Week in Puchong near here today.He said that the Opposition should not adopt the attitude that the court was right and free only when it made a decision in their favour."But when the court makes a decision which is similar to the government's view, they (opposition) accuse it of being unfair and following government's order," he said.A three-man bench of the Court of Appeal on Friday declared Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the rightful menteri besar of Perak, overturning the High Court order on May 11 in declaring Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the legitimate menteri besar.Najib said: "We hope there will be finality to the process and I was told that most probably they will be filing an appeal to the Federal Court. It is their right to do so."The prime minister hoped that there would be an end to the situation in Perak so that the government could concentrate on its duties to serve the people.

tunku : it is their nature , if the decision favours them, then it's a good judgement,free court etc but of it is not favouring them, then the judge is bias,the court is bought by the government etc.such low class mentality, what to say more.they can make a sodomizer as their head, what to expect from them.

The move by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and its allies to use Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno as campaign material for the Penanti by-election is a clear indicator that they have no specific plans for development and community programmes in the area.Penang Umno Liaison Committee deputy chairman, Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman said, it was not fair that PKR and other parties were filling up their ceramah sessions by condemning BN and Umno because they were not contesting.PKR should use the campaign period to explain their plans to develop and improve the lives of residents there in the next two or three years, he said when met by reporters before the launching of a economic stimulus convention with Caely, here today."The contest in Penanti involves PKR and independent candidates, BN and Umno are not involved because we hold to our principle that there is no provision in the constitution to hold the by-election."It is not fair that they make us their campaign material. They should instead talk about the policies and principles they have and what role they will play as state assemblyman, because if they criticise Umno and BN we cannot reply as we are not contesting," he said.He said this when asked to comment on several ceramahs given by opposition leaders in Penanti who use BN and Umno, the Perak Menteri Besar issue and sometimes cynical humour on the death of a Mongolian woman as campaign material.Zainal Abidin said BN and Umno could not apply for a permit to hold a clarification session for any slander made by PKR and its coalition.He said PKR was formed based on emotions, and for it to continue getting support the party must always evoke the emotions of its supporters to let the momentum last until the 13th general election.Based on the situation, he said, the opposition coalition were arranging a series of by-elections to provoke emotions."They know that their stories which are based on feelings of revenge, vulgar words and raising personal issues will be forgotten if not brought up regularly. They do this so the feelings of supporters for the party do not fizzle off," he said.

tunku : the opposition got nothing to talk about.they have no vision and mission for the country except to fight bn and when bn are not contesting in penanti they are lost, don't know what to do.actually they are not confident of winning in penanti, so the best way is to label all the indies candidates as bn's sponsored.such a low class mentality and thinking .

Sunday, May 24, 2009

SEREMBAN, May 23 (Bernama) -- The 'Street Gangsters' label given to Mat Rempit, youths with a penchant for street racing is a bit too much, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.He said only a handful of Mat Rempit were involved in crime while the majority were just ordinary youths looking for some fun."This explosion of culture happens in many countries like that shown in movies like Tokyo Drift and The Fast and The Furious," he said after presenting prizes to 'Golf Amal 2009' participants at Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak here.Shabery said the scenario was similar to that during the 1980s when the community was against the craze for Scrambler motorcycles and Breakdance.Despite disagreeing with the label, the minister said Mat Rempit groups were looking for trouble for racing in the streets rather than at the tracks."Mat Rempit are not interested in real racing. They can always join racing clubs if they want to. The closure of Batu 3 track and the distance of Sepang track is not an excuse."Building more race tracks is not the solution. They just want to show-off to other road users."Shabery urged the authorities to tackle the Mat Rempit problem at the source, particularly the role of parents as most of the motorycles used were owned by family members.

tunku : so if they are not involved in crime than they are not "samseng".it is a crime to race on the road.they are samseng as they race on the streets not on racing tracks.hope shabery is not trying to be mat rempit hero or might be one of them before. there is no fun for the rest of us to see these street gangsters to race on the road which sometimes put our lives in danger.THEY ARE STREET GANGSTERS. these gangsters should be taught lesson.

JOHOR BARU: The Education Ministry expects to reach a decision on the usage of the Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (better known by its Malay acronym PPSMI) within six months.Deputy Minister Dr Puad Zarkashi said that a decision should be made to ensure that the students did not end up in a lose-lose situation, where they failed to master English and Mathematics and Science.“Any decision that will be made will take into account the ministry’s readiness in manpower and teaching methods.“We will also consider the opinions of every parties especially scholars before making any decision,” he told pressmen after launching the state-level Teacher’s Day celebration here Saturday.Dr Puad said that a decision on the matter should be made to prevent certain parties from politicising it such as organising illegal rallies or demonstrations.“One of the areas that will be looked into is increasing the number of qualified English teachers.“Most English teachers are located in the cities while schools in rural areas lacked such manpower,” he said adding that, a comprehensive review would be made before any decision.Dr Puad said another matter being considered was whether teaching both subjects in English would enable the students to master the language.

tunku : puad zarkashi is known as anti PPSMI, what to expect then from the ministry.it is given to someone who is already opposing to it.instead of moving forward we will be moving backward. till today parents are not consulted when they are the one that the ministry should engage with.manpower is not an excuse as the ministry should be able to provide that.

IPOH, May 23 (Bernama) -- The opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat (PR), in Perak will hold a hunger strike for three days beginning Tuesday to urge for the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly as a solution to the political crisis in the state.Perak DAP secretary, Nga Kor Ming said the 72-hour hunger strike would begin as soon as it was launched by former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin together with former State Assembly speaker, V. Sivakumar.tunku : it is good for health to fast sometimes. i hope it's really hunger strike, don't in front of the press you don't eat but when you get back you eat like nobody business.nowadays hunger strike to need launching, what a drama.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

ALOR SETAR, May 22 (Bernama) -- Umno has introduced two formulas, known as SMSS and KBSM, in an effort to win back Kedah in the next general election.Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said the SMSS formula stressed on working day and night while KBSM encouraged Umno leaders to attend four important events, namely feast, funeral and visit new mothers and care for the ill."It is not impossible for Barisan Nasional (BN) to win over Kedah if they practise these two formulas," he told reporters holding a meeting with the State Umno Information Committee, here Friday.He said all Umno Information machinery need to increase efforts to gain the confidence of the people.He said Kedah Umno targetted to wrest back 10 state assembly and six parliamentary seat which they lost to the opposition in the last general election with a majority of less than 1,000 voters.

tunku : i am sure kedah umno will come back strong if they really work hard as there are still many who supports them but because of the previous administration, be it at the federal level or state level had shy them away.with mahadzir khalid out of the picture, there's hope for umno in kedah.we believe the new team will bring back the glory days for umno in kedah but with extra hard work.the KBSM(kenduri,bersalin,sakit dan mati) and SMSS(siang,malam,subuh dan senja) is a basic thing that umno should adapt at all time everywhere, not only in kedah.

Friday, May 22, 2009

The appellate court today allowed an appeal by Barisan Nasional's Zambry Abd Kadir to reverse the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision in declaring Pakatan Rakyat leader Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the rightful menteri besar of Perak.Justice Md Raus Sharif - who is leading a three-member bench - said this was an unanimous decision by the Court of Appeal. The other judges in the panel were Justices Zainun Ali and Ahmad Maarop.The courtroom was silent when the judgment was read out.Nizar was represented by a team of eight lawyers led by Sulaiman Abdullah while senior lawyer Cecil Abraham appeared for Zambry.Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail - who stood as an intervener - was also present. Lawyers Mohd Hafarizam Harun, Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin and M Reza Hassan held a watching brief for BN.On May 11, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Justice Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim proclaimed Nizar as the rightful menteri besar.He ruled that the Sultan of Perak could not dismiss the menteri besar.

KOTA BARU: PAS told Barisan not to bother to contest the Manik Urai state seat, vacated by the death of assemblyman Ismail Yaacob, 60, who passed away from complications arising from diabetes at 6am on Friday."Barisan will surely lose. So it might as well not bother to contest," said PAS Elections Director Datuk Mustafa Ali at a press conference at PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut in Kuala Lumpur.Meanwhile, Bernama reported from Kuala Krai that Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Mohd Nassuruddin Daud will notify the Election Commission of the vacant Manik Urai state seat on Monday.He said that Friday and Saturday were weekend holidays in Kelantan while Saturday and Sunday were weekend holidays in Kuala Lumpur."We will notify the EC of the vacancy on Monday," Mohd Nassuruddin told reporters after paying his last respects to Ismail.Ismail passed away from complications arising from diabetes at 6am on Friday at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II hospital here.PAS deputy commissioner II Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said he would be buried at his home in Manik Urai after Friday prayers.Hospitalised in April, Ismail leaves a wife, Siti Zaharah Ibrahim, and 10 children.Ismail, who was deputy head of the PAS Kuala Krai Division, is one of the longest-serving PAS elected representatives in Kelantan.He first won the Manik Urai state seat in 1985 and has held the seat for five terms.He did not contest the seat in the general election in 2004, paving the way for Zamzuri Mat Lazim to be the elected representative.Ismail contested the seat again in the general election last year and defeated Mohamed Zulkifli Omar of the Barisan Nasional with a majority of 1,352 votes.Manik Urai is one of the four state seats in the Kuala Krai parliamentary constituency, the others being Dabung, Guchil and Mengkembang.PAS, helmed in Kelantan by Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, retained Kelantan in the general election last year by winning 38 seats. Barisan won six seats and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, one.

tunku : all the opposition knows in fighting and politicking. even the BN are not talking about it yet to pay respect for the death of manik urai's assemblyman but pas, the body not yet buried and the attack starts. i am sure that win or lose BN will contest in Manik Urai as the vacancy is because the assemblyman died not like penanti, the assemblyman runs away from responsibilities.hope that mustafa ali will not be so arrogant.God is great.

KOTA BAHARU, May 22 (Bernama) -- Manik Urai state assemblyman Ismail Yaacob died early today of a heart attack. He was 60.Ismail, one of the longest-serving PAS elected representatives in Kelantan, died at 5.55am at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital here. He was admitted to the hospital in April.Ismail leaves a wife, Siti Zaharah Ibrahim, and 10 children. The burial will be held after the Friday prayers today.Ismail, who was deputy head of the PAS Kuala Krai Division, won the Manik Urai state seat in the general election in 1985 and had been the elected representative there for five terms.He did not contest the seat in the general election in 2004, paving the way for Zamzuri Mat Lazim to be the elected representative.Ismail contested the seat again in the general election last year and defeated Mohamed Zulkifli Omar of the Barisan Nasional (BN) with a majority of 1,352 votes.Manik Urai is one of the four state seats in the Kuala Krai parliamentary constituency, the others being Dabung, Guchil and Mengkembang.PAS, helmed in Kelantan by Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, retained Kelantan in the general election last year by winning 38 seats. The BN won six seats and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), one.The last by-election in Kelantan was held in the Pengkalan Pasir state constituency in Pasir Mas in December 2005 following the death of PAS state assemblyman Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Jaafar on Oct 31 of that year.The three-cornered by-election was won by Hanafi Mamat of the BN with a majority of 134 votes. He beat Hanifah Ahmad of PAS and independent candidate Datuk Ibrahim Ali.

Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin has penned a heart-tugging account concerning his son, who yesterday admitted to four counts of theft.The 59-year-old blogger of royal descent apologised to the nation over the issue, and also made a startling accusation that a police officer had wanted to negotiate a monetary settlement for the case."I made it very clear there would be no negotiations," he said in a posting on his popular Malaysia Today blog."How can I agree to bribing police officers to get my son off the hook after speaking out against crime, corruption, abuse of power and cover-ups of criminal acts by those who walk in the corridors of power?"How can I continue speaking out against what ails this country when I am not able to walk the talk?"It is so easy to talk when you have nothing to lose, except maybe your freedom. But when it comes to a member of your family, you compromise your principles and violate the very thing that you speak out against," he added.The Shah Alam Magistrates Court has fixed July 19 for the sentencing of Raja Azman Raja Petra, 32, who admitted to stealing a motorcycle and a mobile phone among other items.Nobody had posted bail which was set at RM10,500.In his posting, Raja Petra also revealed that his son had left home some 18 years ago and severed all ties with the family."Since he left home, he has been in and out of trouble, the result of living on the streets and sleeping in the back alleys of Kuala Lumpur. Invariably, life on the streets like an urchin turned him into what he is today," he said.Raja Petra and his wife Marina Lee Abdullah have four other children Raja Suraya, Raja Shahril, Raja Azmir and Raja Sara.The cigar-smoking blogger himself is facing a slew of court cases with regards to his hard hitting articles on the ruling elite, namely Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.Among others, he is embroiled in a sedition case at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court over an article he penned on the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

tunku : if the policeman was really asking for bribe why rpk did not lodge a report?in this whole mess he still want to be hero.enough rpk.he gave very good excuse that his son left the family 18years ago.as a father he should have bring the son back to the family.he should try his level best to change his son.18years he did nothing but making false news,telling fiction stories, making allegations etc till he is sued millions of ringgit.don't say sorry to the public, say sorry to yourself, your family and your son.say sorry to those you have insulted . say sorry to God.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- PAS elections next month will not only witness a clash between the ulama and the professional group, but will also showcase how far the party is willing to go in defending its struggle to set up an Islamic administration.PAS today is a pale shadow of its former self.Twenty years ago, the party was known for its radical Islamic ideology to the extent of calling Umno supporters as "kafir" just because Umno was cooperating with political parties dominated by non-Muslims.Back then, stories of two imams in mosques in Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu or fights breaking out among family members and neighbours due to political differences, were aplenty.Today, PAS showcases a very different image. Apart from collaborating with the Chinese-dominated DAP and the liberal Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the voices of the radical ulama are also weakening.The kafir-calling issue has vanished. Its determination to establish an Islamic state and implementing the hudud law seems no longer as strong as it used to be -- perhaps due to PAS coming of age or being drowned amid the rise of the professionals who are more liberal in their approach.Perhaps sensing that the influence of the professional group is getting stronger, some party leaders are now stressing the importance of having the ulama to fill the party's top two posts, a call which is readily opposed by others.Seeking to cool the rising temperature in the party, PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said the professionals and ulama should be allowed to lead the party because leaders should have both the knowledge of the world and the hereafter.The fact is, according to several political observers, PAS does not have much choice other than to let the professionals lead the party if it wants to put up a good fight in the next general election.They said that the party had realised that the radical approach would not be helpful in maintaining the non-Muslim support towards the party."PAS is now coming to term with political reality, and that is, struggling for power. Before this, they are fighting for the sake of ideology, but the ideology is now growing thin," said Prof Dr Mohamad Agus Yusoff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).The political science lecturer said right now PAS was "making up" with the non-Muslim dominated parties with only one goal -- to see the end of Barisan Nasional (BN)."Now the multi-racial people can accept PAS' adapted approach, so they will stick to the modest approach as long as they got the support," he said.Although the presence of the professionals (known as the Erdogan group) had benefited the party in terms of support, Mohamad Agus said it also triggered unhealthy culture in the party such as power struggle.The June elections will also see a record number of people vying for posts.Even President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang admits this.Although he won the presidency unopposed, his deputy Nasaruddin Mat Isa will have to face a four-cornered contest against two vice-presidents -- Datuk Husam Musa and Mohamad Sabu -- and an ulama candidate, Datuk Dr Haron Din.Husam, who is labelled as a member of the Erdogan group, is said to be the most popular candidate to win the post even though some said that Harun would be Hadi's best running mate.Although some regard this as a sign that democracy is flourishing in PAS, Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain feels that the fight for the post showed a diminishing practice of "syura" (consensus) in the party."It looks like PAS is practicing Western style democracy, not syura," said the Universiti Sains Malaysia Malaysian Politics and Public Policy lecturer.Ahmad Atory foresees the Erdogans dominating PAS elections as the party is now dominated by the younger generation."There are not many ulama left in the party, and they're getting old. Now there are more young professionals who will design the new leadership. It may not be so obvious in this election, but I am sure it will show in the next one," he said.Prof Dr Ahmad Atory said whether they like it or not, PAS supporters especially the radical group, would have to accept the new leadership style.Another political observer, Assoc Prof Dr Ghazali Mahyuddin also agreed with the view and characterised PAS as being pragmatic, knowing that the ulama faction would not be able to get the support of a multi-racial community.The academician from UKM did not dismiss possibilities that the ulama will be neglected and become a minority in the party."These changes are normal in a political party. So it should not be a surprise if most of the elected leaders are from the professional group."Although there will be hardcore grassroots supporters who may not be able to accept it, I predict that they will remain in the party as long as there is an ulama leader," he said, adding that he doubted the party would return to its old approach."If that is the case, then they will be isolated. We shall see how things develop but I am confident the professional group will dominate the elections this time around," he said.Going by the latest trend in the party, it can be said that PAS is now adopting the approach that has brought about major support to Umno and BN.Although political analysts are sure that PAS' fundamental objective of creating an Islamic country has not changed, the question now is how far the leaders from the professional group would want to defend it.Or, will the desire for power overwhelms the struggle of its original leaders?Will the remaining ulama allow this to happen?

tunku : just controlling two states and this is what had happened to pas, just imagine with more states what then? one day ulama will be history in pas and i am not surprise for that.the greed has taken over in pas.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s hardball way and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s golf diplomacy when dealing with Singapore led nowhere in efforts to resolve outstanding bilateral issues. How will Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak deal with the Singaporeans to get things moving?PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak arrives in Singapore today for a two-day visit that has been upgraded by his host from a working visit to an official one.That means instead of just meeting his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong for a full delegation meeting, the Prime Minister will be accorded a welcoming ceremony and also an audience with Singapore President S.R. Nathan at the Istana.The meeting with Lee is the second in the last six weeks. They had lunch in Pattaya last month during the East Asian Summit, which ended abruptly following anti-government protests in Thailand.Najib, in his own words, was happy with the lunch with Lee as they learnt more about each other. They promised that they should work closely.Bilateral relations with Singapore during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s era hit a rough patch with several outstanding issues, namely the price of water sold to Singapore, the use of Malaysian airspace by the Singapore air force, the development of KTM Bhd land in Singapore, the proposed Johor-Singapore bridge and the withdrawal of Central Provident Fund contributions by Malaysians employed in Singapore.When Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over in October 2003, he met then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and urged both sides to tackle the issues that were easier to resolve first.Abdullah explained the approach by using the metaphor of “plucking the ripe fruit first”, whereby both sides should pluck the low-hanging fruits first and then move on to the higher ones on the tree.He subsequently urged both sides to explore new approaches and “to think out of the box” to avoid the deadlock that had besieged previous bilateral negotiations.Lee came to power in August 2004 but Goh continued to look after outstanding bilateral issues. Subsequent meetings were held and came to naught.Leaders, as expected, will always issue positive remarks of how bilateral relations should move forward and recognise the need to work together when they meet.Najib will have to build up his relationship wit h Lee first and vice-versa before the two leaders can expect to see things moving.Words must be followed up with action. Otherwise, it would end up like the current situation, especially with outstanding issues, where things have come to a standstill.Singapore, as during past negotiations, will say it will agree on certain things but would attach conditions to them. Malaysia would have to meet those conditions, otherwise it would be no go.There has been no meeting between Malaysian and Singaporean officials since Abdullah announced he was stepping down. Singapore could have be en waiting for the new leader to come in before restarting talks.There is another thing Malaysia must bear in mind.Over the years, statements on issues involving Kuala Lumpur from across the Causeway – from the Prime Minister right down to Cabinet ministers – have always been coordinated.This is unlike Malaysia where everybody, especially politicians for reasons best known to themselves, would jump in to give their comments, which most of the time do not reflect the thinking of the Prime Minister.This is an area where the Singaporeans co uld take advantag e of an d use against Malaysia during negotiations.Abdullah managed to keep bilateral relations with Singapore in the last five years cool. Though no progress was made on the outstanding issues, things were a lot calmer.Perhaps it is a good time for Najib to start afresh with Singapore and get things moving, finally.

tunku : the key word here is what is our right is our right.we should not bow to singapore.singapore has never been kind to malaysia since day one.we have tried so many ways with them but failed(we are dealing with kiasus).we need to be kiasu in dealing with kiasu.pak lah managed to keep things cool with singapore but to their advantage not us.we were always on the losing side.he plucked the fruits and gave it away for free to singapore and in return we gets nothing.we hope najib to be bold with them.it should be win win situation for both.we give you fruits, you give us fruits too.

All inter-State operations will be moved to Bandar Tasik Selatan, says Nazri

PUDURAYA will remain. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said the long-term plan was for Puduraya to serve as the city bus terminal.All inter-State bus operations will be moved to the Bandar Tasik Selatan bus terminal, he said after visiting the Puduraya bus terminal with Federal Territories Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and Second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah.Nazri said the Bandar Tasik Selatan bus terminal, which will be ready next year, was initially only to be a hub for buses heading south. But, because of its strategic links with the LRT services and with ample room for expansion, it has been decided as the best place to be the inter-State bus hub."Let them start operations according to plans next year. After that, we will look into extending the bus terminal for all inter-State buses. The Duta and Putra bus terminal operations will also be moved there."Nazri, however, was unable to give a specific date on when all the bus operations would be moved to the Bandar Tasik Selatan bus terminal.The move was taken after a city walkabout by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently, where the Puduraya area was identified as a major source of the daily massive traffic congestion in KL and it wasdecided that immediate steps were needed to improve the situation.Meanwhile, Ahmad Husni said a total of RM30.3 million had been alloted to renovate and upgrade in stages the existing facilities at the Puduraya bus terminal.Firstly, the bus terminal operator, UDA Holdings Bhd, which comes under the Ministry of Finance, has been given RM5.3 million to paint the entire building, upgrade the anti-fire system, footways, and airconditioningat the waiting areas."This is the short-term fix and work has already started. Once these works are completed by the middle of this year, it will be followed by the second phase, which will cost RM10.3 million."The second phase will take six months and will include the upgrading of lifts, changing the exhaust fans at the basement and moving the ticket counters to the first floor."There are also plans to move the food court to the fourth floor," said Ahmad Husni.The third phase will involve the upgrading of the waiting areas in the basement, the fixing of escalators and additional lifts and cargo lifts costing RM14.7 million.The entire upgrading of Puduraya is expected to be completed by 2011.

tunku : the government should make sure that Bandar Tasik Selatan(BTS) 's terminal 100% completed before operating it. they should make sure that there is enough facilities , each and every detail given full consideration.they should not open it for southern sector first as it will cause inconvenience for the passengers using the terminal.it should be made for the future and not for current use. it is good to see that finally the ugly, dirty ,filthy and congested Puduraya will be upgraded at last.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- Zulhisham Ayob, the former director of an advertising consultancy, Wednesday admitted that he paid the cost of dental treatment for former Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, amounting to RM13,860.Zulhisham, who is also the former husband of Dr Khamsiah Ghulam Haider, 46, the dentist who treated Mirza, explained that he did so (make the payment) on the ground that he did not want to feel embarassed, having introduced Mirza to his ex-wife for the dental treatment."However, I expected the treatment given to be just the normal treatment and not involve an implant."I became embarassed when it involved such a high cost and took the decision to settle the bill myself without the knowledge of Mirza as I feared he would think I was trying to take advantage of him to help my ex-wife's practice," said Zulhisham.Zulhisham, 48, the prosecution's 10th witness, was testifying in the Sessions Court here in the trial of Mirza, 52, who is charged with accepting a bribe of RM13,860 from the consultancy, which was in the form of dental treatment at the clinic.Mirza is alleged to have committed the offence at the clinic at No.15, Ground Floor, Jalan 2/71 Off Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, between Jan 17 and July 26 2005.Questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Saiful Hazmi Mohd Saad, Zulhisham stressed several times that the payment made by him was without the knowledge of Mirza."Datuk (Mirza) did not know anything about it because I myself asked my ex-wife and the clinic's management to keep it a secret and try to deflect the issue if he asked about it."Datuk Mirza did not know about it until 2008 and most probably found out after the Anti-Corruption Agency came," he said.Zulhisham, who has been unemployed since Sept 2008, admitted the payment was made through a cheque and was handled by the manager of the consultancy, Haneda Omar.He further told the court that he himself was surprised to learn the treatment involved an implant and not just the usual dental treatment.Earlier, his ex-wife, Dr Khamsiah, who treated Mirza, told the court she felt stressful when Zulhisham asked her not tell about the payment to Mirza."I felt even more stressful when Datuk (Mirza) asked several times for the bill after receiving the treatment," she said.Cross-examined by counsel Saseedharan Menon, who is representing Mirza, Dr Kamsiah explained that she left the matter to Zulhisham after being told by her ex-husband that he would bear the cost of the treatment.She also agreed to a suggestion by another counsel of Mirza, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman that the payment for the implant was made by Zulhisham without the knowledge of Mirza, whereas the accused only made payments for follow-up treatment.The hearing before Judge Zainal Abidin Kamarudin continues tomorrow.

tunku : for me datuk mirza is innocent.he's framed by someone who already lost the job in the recent cabinet reshuffle. datuk mirza had done a good job at tourism ministry/department and he should not be going through all these allegations.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Police have warned those who become members of a crime prevention patrolling unit set up by Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik not to do anything against the law.Northeast District police chief Assistant Commissioner Azam Abdul Hamid said police here had received information on the unit set up by the DAP assemblyman.He said based on investigations, the `Polis DAP` motorcycle unit was fully equipped with walkie-talkies but it was not recognised by the Royal Malaysian Police.Azam said until today, there has been no application or discussion held with the police to find out the kind of action and operation methods used in their patrolling."We do not want them to do anything against the law. They do not have the power to check or detain any individuals."They did not bother to discuss with us and just went ahead to set up this unit," he said.Azam said the unit, which could be classified as an illegal unit, was established by political leaders with certain agendas."They may have established it with good intentions but this is not the way to do things," he said, adding that police will monitor the unit closely as any wrongdoing could result in violation of the law."I wish to emphasise that the recognised crime prevention patrol units are the Volunteer Corps (Rela), the Village Development and Security Committee and the community police set up by the police," he said.

tunku : if they are really sincere, they should have joined Rela or rukun tetangga. with the word Polis Dap, they have insulted the PDRM. how can dap form a police force ? police should take action on them. today they formed polis dap for patrolling, tomorrow they will form army(askar dap) to take over the country.PDRM be alert.join rela or rukun tetangga if you really want to help.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Raja Azman Raja Petra, the son of controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, was charged at the magistrate's court here with stealing motorcycles, breaking into homes to steal items and possessing stolen goods. The unemployed Raja Azman, 32, pleaded guilty to the charges.Magistrate Norkamilah Aziz granted him bail of RM10,500.June 19 has been fixed for sentencing. None of his family members were present to post bail.

tunku : i feel sorry for raja petra. i understand how much it hurts the parents to see their children in this kind of mess. we hope raja petra will spend more time with his children than telling lies ,fantasy stories and allegation against the people who don't pay him.

KUALA LUMPUR: The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) will suggest a new candidate for the deputy minister’s post currently held by Senator Datuk T. Murugiah if he does not appeal the decision within 14 days.“We’re prepared to lose him as a deputy minister if he does not file an appeal by the end of the 14 days,” PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas said on Monday.“The post still ‘belongs’ to us and we will suggest a new candidate to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak,” he said, adding that Najib had agreed to let the party “sort out” its internal issues “on its own.”The PPP disciplinary board expelled Murugiah and six others on Saturday for allegedly tarnishing the good name of the party and trying to get it de-registered.Kayveas said then that Murugiah, a supreme council member, was sacked for using his deputy minister’s office in the Prime Minister’s Department to organise a press conference for his personal assistant Dr N.A. Shanmuganathan, and making defamatory remarks against the party and its leadership.tunku : whatever happens to murugiah, i hope najib will not appoint ppp's representative in the cabinet fro now.enough is enough. ask ppp to proof the loyalty first and their worth in bn. all these while this tiny party always threathen to leave bn but till today they have not.hope najib be bold with them.let murugiah continue as deputy minister till his senatorship's term expire.

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional has decided not to contest the Penanti by-election on May 31, coalition chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.Najib said the by-election was a political game being played by the Opposition and they did not want to play to their tune.Despite calls for Barisan to contest in the by-election, Najib said the decision the coalition made on Monday was unanimous, after a lengthy discussion."Barisan’s priority is to serve the people and work to revive the country’s economy," said Najib, who is also Prime Minister, at a press conference here Monday evening.He had earlier chaired the Barisan supreme council meeting where the issue was discussed.Asked if the decision might disappoint Barisan supporters in Penanti, Najib said he did not think so as the coalition would still face the people during the next general election.He added that the decision not to contest would not affect the service provided to the people, and the coalition would serve in Penanti and Permatang Pauh in its own way.On whether there had ever been a by-election in which Barisan had not contested, he said was informed there was one instance before.However, he added that there had never been a case before where one was held under the same circumstances as Penanti.The Penanti state seat fell vacant on April 17, after the resignation of PKR assemblyman Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, who also quit as Penang Deputy Chief Minister I.Pakatan Rakyat has chosen PKR’s Dr Mansor Othman as its candidate for the by-election.Nomination has been set for May 23.

tunku : for me it is a good idea for bn not to contest in penanti. it is wasting time and money.bn should spend their time and resources in strengthening the party and also the country's economy. this is just a distraction by pakatan so that bn will not have time to strenghten the party and build up the economy of this country. they wanted to drag bn into their dirty game which bn did not.pakatan especially pkr thinks that the by election is a game. for bn it is not a game. after all win or lose in penanti does not bring any difference to the state government.if bn wins can change the state government, then it's worth contesting.let pakatan play politics 24/7, bn can concentrate in building up the nation. come next general election, people will realize, what's right and what's wrong.

Monday, May 18, 2009

MUAR, May 17 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties need to feel the "pulse and heartbeat" of the people by focusing efforts on resolving problems like sources of income and those relating to their livelihood, said said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said he was confident the BN would regain the support of the people if it focused on efforts on the people's welfare."I urge the parties in the BN to concentrate on matters relating to the people's welfare and livelihood so that we can feel the "the pulse and heartbeat" of each citizen."If we (BN) do this, we will be believed by the people because we did something on matters that touched on their future welfare," he told reporters here Sunday.He said this after meeting members of the Indian commmunity at Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Palaniappa here.The Member of Parliament for Pagoh said in the current economic situation, efforts to help the people in matters concerning their livelihood was extremely important."We have to find various ways to help improve their incomes besides other basic matters like access to jobs, education and provision of amenities," he said, adding that this was in line with the government's effort to remodel the economy to make Malaysians high income earners.The Deputy Prime Minister, who had earlier visited Padang Ragut Lubuk Bakul here, also said the government was committed to develop the agriculture sector in the country.He said, the government through the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry, would continue efforts to develop the sector as it would not only help raise the income of the people but reduce dependency on food imports.Muhyiddin was also asked on developments in the PPP which saw its supreme council member and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk T.Murugiah and several other leaders sacked from the BN component party Saturday.He said the BN practised a non-interference policy where it concerned the internal affairs of a component party.Later when speaking at a gathering of the Chinese community at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Kampung Teratai here, Muhyiddin said a special economic committee would be set up towards efforts to make Pagoh a new growth centre."The spinoffs will help raise the standard of living of the people in the constituency," he said, adding that an agriculture and agro-based industry committee that was set up earlier had helped bring about progress in the sector in the constituency.He urged the Chinese community to contribute to the effort saying Pagoh was strategically located between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baharu, which made it an attractive destination for investors.Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, also announced an allocation of RM1.5 million to help upgrade five Chinese schools in the constituency.

tunku : the key success for BN will be if they reach out to the people, do not wait till people come and see you. go to the ground , see them and hear them. try to solve their problems.be close to them always.always lend them your support when they need you.

MUAR, May 17 (Bernama) -- Umno will launch a massive movement soon to strengthen its machinery and bring back the fighting spirit among members as part of the preparation to face the coming general election.Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is Umno deputy president, said the effort to strengthen the party should start now and not wait until the next election, which must be held by 2013."I've asked Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to start the training programmes and courses to strengthen party machinery and restore the fighting spirit among members," he said at the simultaneous opening of Pagoh Umno branch meetings here today.Muhyiddin said the training modules would cover aspects like strengthening the party's machinery and spirit of camaraderie.The massive programme would involve all party wings, said Muhyiddin who is also Pagon Member of Parliament.Muhyiddin said Umno members needed to strengthen their resolve and fighting spirit so that they would be able to face the various challenges that cropped up in the aftermath of last year's general election.He said the opposition pact had never ceased to attack the Barisan Nasional even after the election was long over."The opposition has been cooking up all kind of stories and twisting facts about Umno and in the process, managed to influence many people including from among the Malays," he said.The Umno machinery, however, failed to parry the attack, resulting in many people believing the stories being spread by the opposition, he said.Umno should also institute changes and should now approach other races as well, along with the Malays, and help resolve their problems, he said."If previously the problems faced by the Malays are taken care of only by Umno, the Chinese by MCA and Indian by MIC, this should no longer be the case."Umno should change... the problems faced by other races are also Umno's problems," he said.He said Umno was now undergoing a critical period that required it to change or perish.The change should involve the grassroots and required members to reflect back on the mistakes done and find ways to correct them, he added.He said party members should convey to party leaders the true picture of the situation and not hide any mistake from them.tunku : the BN components parties should not move individually, they should move as BN.the idea of having a BN service centre in every parliamentary constituency is a very much awaited and a good start.the centre must be operated by all the component members.they should work as a team at all time.they must serve all even they are the supporter of the opposition.service centre is for all malaysian.people at the centres should be with well trained people so that they can attend to the people's need the right way.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

SEPANG: Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman will not apologise to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for claims that he had been offered a deputy ministership post as incentive to join Pakatan Rakyat.Anifah said he had bigger tasks to concentrate on and did not have time to worry about Anwar’s threat to file to a defamation suit against him.“I have no time to worry about Anwar,” he told reporters on Sunday at the KL International Airport.“I have bigger and better things to do as Foreign Minister like helping with the efforts to counter the effects of the global economy downturn.”Anwar on Saturday had denied making any offer to Anifah as an incentive to join Pakatan.His lawyer Sankara Nair said in a statement that Anwar had instructed him to file a defamation suit against Anifah unless he issued an apology by Sunday.Anifah had claimed at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Friday that Anwar had offered him the deputy premiership to persuade him to switch sides after the general election last year.Anifah had also told international journalists that Anwar should respect the country’s democratic system and accept the result of the elections.

tunku : anifah is right, don't bother about anwar barking and wanting to file defamation suits as he wants to shift people's mind from his sodomize case which is coming soon.whenever he has case coming, he will create new scenes just to let people forget about his sodomize case.go ahead anwar the moron, sue anifah.

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 16 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) is to set up a service centre in every parliamentary constituency to enable resolution of the people's problems together by its component parties.Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak came up with the idea to show that the BN could help the people of all communities."This approach is to show that the people's problems, though categorised in groups, are not tackled by certain parties but by all component parties," he said at a meeting with Terengganu BN leaders here.Muhyiddin, who is on a day-long visit to Terengganu, said the move was one of the changes undertaken by the BN so that it would continue to be accepted by the people, particularly in facing the next general election.He said the existing BN service centres in Umno divisions would be retained.On the draft amendments to the Umno constitution, he said they would be ready at the end of the month and would be circulated to the state Umno liaison committee chairmen for their input and feedback.On the statement by Umno Information Chief Ahmad Maslan yesterday that 60,000 Umno information workers failed to discharge their duties, Muhyiddin, who is Umno deputy president, said he had instructed that they be trained to carry out their work effectively.He said he had instructed the Umno information machinery to draw up training programmes nationwide to create more speakers and information officers to help explain issues so that the people would not be confused.

tunku : by right this service centres by BN should have been there long time ago but better late than never.this is a very good idea. all these while we have component parties service centre but not the BN. with the BN service centre, all walks of life can come and seek assistance and these people who are stationed at the centres should go out to the ground more.don't just warm the chairs at the centres.

PETALING JAYA, May 16 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he would not influence the government to revisit the crooked bridge project.However, he said, he still hoped the bridge would be realised to overcome the congestion at the Johor Causeway."Although I believe there are no reasons why the project cannot proceed, the decision is not mine," he told reporters in Subang Jaya Saturday.He said that when the Johor Causeway was built, there was probably only a car for every 1,000 population."Now we have 10 million cars for the population of 27 million people."That is to say for every 2.7 person there is a car. So the traffic problem is getting more and more serious. If we don't have proper facilities we will face congestion that is far worse," he said.On the mainstream media which was said to have lost the people's confidence, Dr Mahathir said: "If the mainstream wants to be relevant, it has to rebuild their confidence. Just publish the truth and make proper analysis based on the truth."Don't always see the political angle," he said.

tunku : well if the government is smart enough they will build the bridge, maybe it is matter of time now.i am sure the government will look into it .

Saturday, May 16, 2009

WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman has revealed that Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had offered him the post of Deputy Prime Minister as bait to switch sides after the general election last year.“Just for the information of the audience here, Anwar said he would form a government on Sept 16 but he has changed the dates many times. And he was trying to entice Members of Parliament.“I was personally offered a very lucrative position, like a deputy prime ministership. These facts are not known to the world at large,” he said during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which was packed with American and foreign journalists.“And he has started trying to buy other legislative members. I think he has not accepted the result of the last elections.“We (Barisan Nasional) have lost five states and we willingly accept the people’s verdict.”A Reuters journalist had earlier asked Clinton whether she raised the Anwar issue at her meeting with Anifah as the State Department’s annual human rights report had mentioned that charges against Anwar were politically motivated.Clinton replied that she had raised the rule of law issues and larger questions concerning institutional reforms that Malaysia had been pursuing.Anifah, who was calm throughout, said he had faith in Malaysia’s judicial system, citing the case of Perak where the High Court had reinstated Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak Mentri Besar although it was a ruling made against the Federal Government.Anifah said Anwar was tarnishing the image of Malaysia.“It is our wish and hope that he will respect the democratic system in Malaysia.”Anifah told another journalist that Malaysia would use the “good office” of the Asean secretariat to find a solution to the case involving Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who faces new charges less than two weeks before her house arrest was due to end after an American man swam across a lake and entered her home.On improving US relations with Islamic countries, Clinton said the United States would seek out partners like Malaysia and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference for guidance.

tunku : why can't the pakatan people who are shouting upside down now sees the fact that it was their leader,their chief who started it all. anifah has said that he even promised dpm post for him and many others with some posts and money. yet he said they are willing to crossover without any baits. now that their people had crossed over, they can't acept the facts.as for usa, please look at your own backyard before poking your nose at others.

More than 60,000 Umno information machinery workers in all branches throughout the country could not carry out their tasks as they did not understand the responsibilities entrusted to them.Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan said many of them did not know what to do as they were not informed of their actual task as members of the party information machinery."There are 20,000 Umno branch information machinery nationwide, and this figure does not include the 18,000 Wanita information heads, 15,000 Youth information heads and 7,000 Puteri information heads."The figure is large but many do not know their tasks and do not know what to do," he told reporters after attending a special meeting with the Information Committees of the four levels of Umno in Terengganu, here today, which was also attended by Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said.In this context, he said he was determined to activate all the existing machinery to face the 13th general election.He said he would go down to meet with all the information heads of the Umnio divisions and instruct them to identify the information machinery at the branch levels and activate them. - BERNAMA

tunku : so all these while umno info workers on hibernation mode.well now is the duty of ahmad maslan to make sure that these workers wakes up. make sure they are well trained and well knowledge.then make them go to the ground.they must be able to counter all the allegations made against umno/bn and the government.they must be able to explain to people of current issues.ahmad maslan, don't waste time anymore.get moving fast.looking at the numbers that umno has, there should not be problem for them to get the people at their side.if they failed that means ahmad maslan failed.

PAKATAN Rakyat can keep on dreaming of a dissolution of the Perak state assembly. Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak said a dissolution was not the only way to end the political dispute there. He reminded the opposition that the ruling coalition has the majority to rule the state.“Remember, BN was the biggest party (after the March 2008 general election) Sultan Azlan Shah agreed to appoint Nizar ( Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin ) as menteri besar after the state assemblymen (from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, DAP and Pas) signed declarations that they support him (to head the state government).“Now the three (DAP’s Hee Yit Foong, and PKR’s Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu) signed declarations to support BN (leading to the appointment of Datuk Seri Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the new MB).“The sultan could have (re)appointed Tajol Rosli (Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli) but based on the spirit of democracy, the ruler agreed to appoint Nizar even though Pakatan Rakyat is not a legal entity.“PR has lost the majority…we are using the same principle… it is not undemocratic or unconstitutional (to take over the Perak state government)”, Najib said.He said the problem in Perak arose over Pakatan Rakyat’s refusal to accept reality.“Why did they suspend six BN reps… it is against the spirit of democracy. We have the majority in Parliament, we can also suspend 20 opposition MPs (but) we cannot do as we please.”To a question from reporters covering his trip here to attend the Coral Triangle Initiative Summit in , Najib said the calls from within BN for a dissolution of the state assembly was merely “differences of opinion”.“We will take it into account (but to take over the government)… is not against democratic principles.“Changing of parties happens in other countries, too. Winston Churchill did it many times, and recently a US senator also switched from the Republican party to the Democratic party.“And remember, who wanted to steal 31 MPs from us to take over the government on Sept 16 (last year)? The first attempt to grab power was by PR… we didn’t start it but when they fail (and we succeeded), they accused us of grabbing power.”Najib repeated his willingness to meet with Pakatan Rakyat leaders and that there should be no pre-conditions.

tunku : that is right najib.the pakatan rakyat is tasting the medicine that was made by anwar the moron.

Friday, May 15, 2009

ALOR SETAR, May 14 (Bernama) -- Three new faces have been appointed into the Kedah Umno liaison committee in a revamp to rejuvenate and strengthen the party for the coming 13th general election.They are Langkawi division chief and Kuah assemblyman Datuk Nawawi Ahmad, who replaces Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah as secretary; Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Major-General (Rtd) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom as information chief, replacing Datuk Hadzir Ismail, and Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir, who replaces Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin as treasurer.Their appointments were announced by Kedah Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal after a meeting here Thursday."The revamp is made to enable the division heads to focus on activities to strengthen and restore the people's confidence in the party so that Umno can wrest back the state from the opposition," he added.

tunku : kedah umno needs total revamp.kedah umno is in a very big mess.they must really work extra hard to wrest back the state from pas. the expired and controversial leaders should make way for the new and none controversial leaders. people like mahadzir khalid, johari baharom, saad man and few others should be out of the picture completely.shafie afdal should start looking for election candidates from now and make them go to the ground asap.i guess the3 new appointments made by shafie afdal was a good choice.

KOTA BAHARU, May 14 (Bernama) -- Kelantan Umno liaison chairman Datuk Mustapa Mohamed has the 'magic' to win back the support of the people in the state for Umno just as he did in the past, said Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan.He said Mustapa's credibility and commitment in bringing progress to the people of Kelantan, when he was first appointed to the post, had given a significant impact particularly in the 2004 general election when the Barisan Nasional won 22 seats in the State Assembly compared with only two seats in 1999 and six in the general election last year."Now Datuk Mustapa has been reappointed as chairman of the state Umno liaison body, and it is not impossible that the magic will come back," said Ahmad, who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, to reporters after visiting the Civics Bureau Office, here.He hoped that the Umno information heads at the state, division and branch levels could activate their respective machineries to get closer to the people in Kelantan and convince them that Umno was the only party that could provide the best service to them.

tunku : everyone knows that mustapa's magic is his honesty ,sincerity and hardworking character.he talk less and work more.he is a people's leader.kelantan will be so fortunate if they give him the chance to lead them.he is a gem for the kelantanese ,unfortunately they have not given him the chance yet except in Jeli. while mustapa has his magic, every umno member wants ahmad maslan too has his magic.if ahmad maslan has the magic, umno will regain its strenght.umno information till date has failed miserably.the umno members are counting on ahmad maslan's magic now, can he deliver?

Thursday, May 14, 2009

PENANG, May 13 (Bernama) -- DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today asked Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak to call for fresh elections in Perak, saying the political impasse has hurt the state's economy badly.Lim, who is Penang chief minister, said that according to a report of the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida), total investment in Perak in terms of performance had dropped drastically.The report showed that Perak had dropped from sixth position in 2008 to 10th in the first two months of 2009, he told reporters after Iran's ambassador Mahdi Khandaghabadi had called on him, here.Lim said that based on the Mida report, Perak only recorded RM32 million in investment this year and lacked behind other states in securing investment, with Johor in first place with over RM1 billion in investments followed by Selangor with RM707 million and Penang with RM685 million."This also proves that the political crisis in Perak has affected the state's economic growth and I believe this can be resolved after the dissolution of the Perak state legislative assembly to pave the way for fresh elections," he said.Lim said only a stable government would be able to ensure economic growth and development in the state.He also said that the people in Perak had the power to elect and decide on the rightful menteri besar of Perak."Even if we win in the courts, the DAP's position is to call for fresh elections and dissolve the assembly," he said, adding that the DAP would return power to the people to decide on the rightful menteri besar.Yesterday, the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya allowed a stay of execution of Monday's Kuala Lumpur High Court decision declaring Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin of the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition as the rightful menteri besar of Perak.With the suspension of the declaratory order, the post of Perak menteri besar has returned to Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir of the Barisan Nasional (BN) pending the hearing of his appeal against the High Court decision.

tunku : if dap is really sincere is wanting perak to have peace,stability and to ensure the growth of the economy, then let the majority govern perak. for the sake of the people, wait till next election.don't just talk nonsense.blame it on the moron sitting next to you in the photo above.he started it.

PUTRAJAYA, May 13 (Bernama) -- Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob said RON95 petrol to be introduced on Sept 1 is good for all vehicles."Motorists are urged to switch to RON95 as it is good for any type of vehicles from cheap cars to luxury ones. You don't need to use RON97," he told reporters at his office here today.Ismail Sabri however said it was up to motorists if they wanted to use RON97 petrol.He yesterday announced that RON95 will be sold at RM1.75 per litre on Sept 1 as an alternative to RON97 which will be increased to RM2 per litre.RON97 petrol will become a premium product while RON92 will be removed from the market.

tunku : how to make sure that the petrol are really Ron 95? can government give guarantee to the public that the quality is assured? if they can give us the solid proof that it's Ron 95 then it is good quality petrol as in UK they are using Ron 91 and in usa from ron 87 to ron 92.the ministry should go to the ground and educate/explain the public on this matter.make fast move.do explaination through all the medias.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Bernama) -- MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu may endorse his choice for the post of party deputy president, judging from his statement today that for now he would refrain from doing so."I will not endorse any candidate for the moment, but in the future I can't say," he said when asked by reporters if he would endorse his candidate for the No. 2 post in the September MIC polls.It has been reported that the likely contenders for the post would be the incumbent Datuk G. Palanivel, MIC secretary-general and Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, MIC vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan and the party's former No. 2, Datuk S. Subramaniam, who recently announced that he would vie for the post.Samy Vellu, however, said he would discuss with the candidates to "come to an understanding" on who should go for the post.It is understood that the president would favour a straight fight instead of a four-cornered contest for the post to ensure that the party remained intact. A four-cornered fight would likely break the MIC into factions and lead to its destruction, party insiders said."If the talks fail, then I will let them battle it out," he told reporters after presenting Primary School Assessment Test (UPSR) training modules to Tamil school pupils here today.Asked whether he would support his son, S. Vell Paari, who is expected to contest a post of vice-president in the party polls, Samy Vellu said: "I cannot comment on it".He said Vell Paari had indicated that he wanted to contest a post for a long time but he, as party president, had stopped him for three or four terms as he did not want to create a situation where there could be a conflict of interest."He (Vell Paari) has his own following and he has been working on the ground and it is within his right if he wants to contest. I can't deny him that right," he said.On the situation in Perak, Samy Vellu said that since Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir had obtained a stay of execution from the Court of Appeal today, "we have to wait and see"."We will have to wait for Barisan Nasional under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to formulate the next step," he added.

tunku : till we have samy in mic, mic will never be strong like they used to be.i wonder why the members can tolerate samy.now he is putting his son in as a vice president candidate.of course he will do his best to make sure his son wins the post.mic members should have shown samy the way out long time ago.mic has a dark future as long as samy is the president.mic with a new president that can unites all the indian parties under them will bring bright future for the community.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

PUTRAJAYA: The price of premium grade petrol RON97 will be increased to RM2 per litre from Sept 1 onwards, 20sen more per litre, when RON95 becomes available nationwide.RON95 petrol and Euro 2M grade diesel is expected to the market by Sept 1.Former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad had said in March that the prices for both upgraded fuels would be the same as the previous grades.The higher grade RON95 will replace RON92 petrol but will be sold at the same price as the lower-grade petrol.

tunku : it should not increase.IT SHOULD NOT. hope najib will do something about it.times are bad and it should not increase,that's all.

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Tolerating intolerance

Intolerance is rampant at every level and in all age groups of the society, but it is more visible amongst the younger generation as our youth can be seen losing their altitude of patience over petty issues. We seriously need to think over it as what we are going to inculcate in them, which may help them seek success in future. Will it be tolerance or intolerance?

By Samra Arshad

International Conference "Expose War Crimes – Criminalise War"

“Wars increasingly involve the killings of innocent people and are therefore, abhorrent and criminal. Killings in war are as criminal as the killings within societies in times of peace. Since killings in peace time are subject to the domestic law of crime, killings in war must likewise be subject to the international law of crimes. This should be so irrespective of whether these killings in war are authorised or permitted by domestic laws.”